Method of pumping liquids.



H. M. & T. M. CHANGE.

METHOD OF PUMPING LIQUIDS.

APPLIOATION FILED 111111.22, 1911.

Patented July 9, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO .\VASHINGTON, D. c.

H. M. & T. M. CHANGE.

METHOD OF PUMPING LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED 14,113.22, 1911.

Patented July 9, 1912.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

m, M MM m? COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH 50., WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED @AI HENRY M. CHANGE AND THOMAS M. CHANCE, OF IHILADELIHIA,YENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF IPUMPING LIQUIDS.

Application filed March 22, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY M. CHANGE and THOMAS M. CHANCE, 01": the cityof Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a certain new and Improved Method of Pumping Liquids, whereofthe following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which show forms of apparatus adapted forcarrying out our method.

By the term liquids we mean to include not only simply liquids, but alsomixtures of liquids, mixtures of liquids and gases, and such mixtures ofliquids and solids as are capable of being pumped.

Our invention relates particularly to the pumping ofliquids by means ofthe energy derived from a prime medium having expansive force, such forinstance, as the charge of an internal combustion engine, steam,compressed air, etc., and it is especially adapted to secure highetliciency in pumping by internal combustion engines,

. when the power piston is directly connected with the pump piston orplunger. It is, however, also applicable to those types of pumpingapparatus in which a power piston is dispensed with, and an expandingmedium is employed in direct contact with the liquid to be pumped.

The characteristics of our invention are that the energy from the primemedium, which is to be directly utilized in pumping, is first used toimpart velocity to a body of liquid having considerable inertia (beingthus converted from potential energy to kinetic energy), that it is thenutilized to discharge a port-ion of the body of liquid, and to draw in afresh increment of liquid thereto, and that the energy which is not thusdirectly employed for pumping or drawing in liquid, is transformed intopotential energy and stored for use in a subsequent cycle of operations.To these ends, the pressure attained by the body of liquid under theeffect of the prime mover is transmitted to a piston or plunger, (whichwe term the accumulator piston which is capable of a reciprocatingmotion of limited amplitude, and which in turn transmits the power ithas received from the moving body of liquid to an accumulator. Thetravel or stroke of the accumulator piston just referredto is definitelylimited, and the power thus stored by each stroke is determinedSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1912.

Serial No. 616,080.

by factors, which include the amplitude of the stroke, the area of thepiston and the accumulator pressure against which the piston works. Thebody of liquid, which has relatively large inertia, continues in motionafter the accumulator piston has reached the limit of its travel, andthereby produces an increase of pressure in the region immediatelybehind the accumulator piston, which increase of pressure efiects thepumping. The continued travel of the mass of liquid, while the pumpingdischarge is taking place, creates an area of decreased pressure in thevicinity of the intake, which permits a new increment of liquid to bedrawn into the apparatus, so as to take the place of that which isdischarged.

In the accompanying drawings, we have illustrated several types ofapparatus adapted to carry out our method.

Figure I, represents in vertical longitudinal section an elementary formof such apparatus. Figs. II and III, respectively represent, in similarlongitudinal section, two different modifications of such elementaryform of apparatus. Fig. IV, illustrates in vertical longitudinal sectionanother modified form of apparatus. Fig. V, illustrates a horizontalsection thereof on the line V, V, of Fig. IV.

In each of said figures, a plunger or piston is shown as the actuatingdevice, whereby pressure is applied to the body of liquid. Forconvenience of distinction we shall employ the term actuator plunger todenote said device, and the term accumulator piston to designate theelement to which the pressure is transmitted and which in turn transmitsit to the accumulator. We have not in any of these figures indicated theengine, or other prime mover by means of which the actuator plunger isdriven, since this may be of any type of the class above mentioned, andwe have not deemed it necessary to illustrate any of those forms ofapparatus before mentioned, in which the actuator plunger would bedispensed with, and the liquid pumped by direct contact with theexpanding medium.

Referring to Fig. I, 1 indicates the actuator plunger driven by means ofa rod 2, from any suitable prime mover as before stated. Said plunger isadapted to operate within a cylindrical chamber 3, which co nmunicates,by means of an inlet pipe 4, with a source of supply 5, of liquid,communication being controlled by means of a valve 6. The chamber 3, isprolonged into a conduit 7 of any desired length sufficient to contain abody or liquid of considerable inertia, and preferably horizontal. Saidconduit communicates through a valve 8, with an air chamber 9, which maybe termed the high pressure air chamber, from which the discharge pipe10, for the pumping of liquid, leads. Beyond the point of communicationat 8, the conduit has a cylindrical prolongation 11, which terminates ina closed air chamber 12, which is to be taken as typical of anyaccumulator, or other apparatus adapted to store energy, and permit itsreturn for the purpose of doing work. Within the cylindricalprolongation 11, of the conduit is located the accumulator piston 13,which fits snugly, but so as to be moved freely therein by thepreponderance of pressure of the liquid upon either of its ends. Themovement of said piston is limited in its outstroke, or movement towardthe accumulator 12, by stops 14, or in any convenient manner.

Our method, as carried out by the use of the apparatus just described,is as follows: The out-stroke of the actuator plunger 1, impartsvelocity to the body of water contained within the chamber 3, conduit 7,and prolonged conduit 11, thus forcing the accumulator piston 13, towardthe accumulator 12. The accumulator piston in turn trans mits movementto the body of liquid beyond it within the conduit 11, forcing saidliquid up into the air chamber 12, against the pres sure thusoccasioned. hen the accumulator piston 13, reaches the stops 1a, its

movement is arrested, but the continued.

pressure of the moving body of liquid behind it, lifts the valve at 8,and pumps liquid out into thehigh pressure air chamber 9, and thencethrough the discharge pipe 10. This movement of the liquid in effectingthe discharge, however, occasions a condition of reduced pressure at thevicinity of the valve 6, which controls the communication with theinlet. Said valve 6, thereupon opens and a new increment of liquid isdrawn in from the source of supply 5. When the pressure in the chamber9, and discharge pipe 10, equals the maximum pressure of the moving.body of liquid within the conduit 7, the

body of liquid comes to rest and the valves 8, and 6, close. Thereuponthe back pressure from the air chamber 12, reacts upon thev accumulatorpiston 13, and forces. it backward in a return stroke until the pressureon each sideof it is substantially equal. This-back stroke of theaccumulator piston impart-s movement to the body of liquid within theconduits 11, and 7, and chamber 3, and this movement is transmitted tothe actuator lunger 1, forcing it to return it to its initia position inpreparation for the next out-stroke. The return movement of the actuatorplunger 1, may of course be attended by the compression of that portionof the prime medium which is intended to develop the power for the nextout-stroke of the actuator plunger. The operations above described willhave restored all the working parts to their initial positions, and thecycle of movements then recurs.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 11, differs from that of Fig. I, simply inthe fact that in place of a closed air chamber, as shown at 12 in Fig.I, we employ an open column of liquid, as indicated at 15 in Fig. TI.Since the other parts are identical to those just described, it is notdeemed necessary to re peat in detail the description thereof.

If the area of the accumulator piston be equal to that of the actuatorplunger, it is evident that the out-stroke and return stroke of the twowill be equal in extent, and that they will move in unison throughoutboth strokes. It is, therefore, feasible to physically connect the twoelements together, and such an, organization is shown in Fig. III. Inthis instance 20, represents the actuator plunger; 21, the chamber intowhich the same operates; 22, the inlet for liquid; 23, the conduitextending from the chamber 21; 24, the valve outlet to the high pressureair chamber 25, and discharge pipe 26. The cylindrical prolongation ofthe conduit 23, is indicated at 27, and the accumulator piston at 28.The plunger 20, is connected to the piston 28, by means of a rigid rod29, and the method of pumping which takes place under thesecircumstances is similar to that before described, with the furtherfeature that the rod 29, participates in the transmission of movementfrom the plunger to the piston and vice versa.

The feature of thus connecting together the two elements permits theapparatus itself to be substantially modified in the arrangement ofcertain of the parts, and in Figs. IV and V, we have illustrated such afurther modification. In said drawings 30, represents the actuatorplunger operating in the chamber 31, which is connected with the supplyof liquid by the pipe 32, having a valve 33. As will be seen by thehorizontal sectional View of Fig. V, said chamber is in communicationwith a conduit 36, which, after being prolonged to any desired extent,is returned upon itself to a point in front of the chamber 31, and therecommunicates with a relatively short cylindrical conduit 37, in whichthe accumulator piston 38, is located. Said piston is connected to, theactuator plunger by means of the rod 39. The cylindrical conduit 37 islocated within a chamber 40, which is subdivided by means of an annularpartition 41. That portion of the chamber 40, which is to the left-handside of the partition 11, communicates with the high pressure airchamber 12, and discharge pipe 13, the communication being controlled bya valve 4 1. That portion of the chamber 4L0, which is at the right-handside of the partition communicates with the accumulator air chamber 45.In this instance no stops are shown to limit the movementof theaccumulator piston 38, and such limitation of its movement may beeffected by cushioning within the cylinder of the prime mover, whichdrives the actuator plunger 30, or by any convenient means.

A characteristic of the arrangement of apparatus shown in Figs. IV andV, is that the high pressure air chamber and its discharge main may belocated in close proximity to the actuator element, instead of being ata point relatively remote therefrom (as in Figs. I, II and III), sincethe necessary prolongation of the conduit 36, is attained by the returnof said conduit upon itself, a sufiicient body of liquid being thusafforded to develop the action which characterizes our method.

It will be understood that all these various forms of apparatus are in acertain sense elementary, and that adjunctive devices of various kindsmay be employed in connect-ion therewith, particularly for such purposesas relates to the cushioning of the movement of the accumulator piston,which may be effected by any form of spring, hydraulic device orair-cushion, designed to prevent destructive jar or shock. It will alsobe understood that while the use of a high pressure air-chamber (such asthe elements indicated respectively at 9, in Fig. I, 25 in Fig. III and412 in Fig. IV) is desirable for the purposes characteristic of suchdevices, it is not essential to our method.

Having thus described our invention, we deem it proper to call attentionto Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,020,965, granted to usunder date of March 26th, 1912, in which certain improvements in themethod of pumping liquids are set forth. It is of course, to beunderstood that none of the claims in the present case is to beconstrued as coextensive with any of the claims contained in saidpatent, since the subject matter of the present invention, while relatedto, is wholly distinct from, the subject matter of said former case.

We claim:

1. The hereinbefore described method of pumping liquids, which consistsin imparting pressure and relatively high velocity from a prime mediumto a confined body of liquid which is in operative contact with anaccumulator piston whichl has a limited movement and which is arrangedin operative relation to an accumulator; storing in said accumulator aportion of the energy represented by the travel of the first mentionedbody of liquid during the movement of the accumulator piston; andpermitting the continued travel of said first mentioned body of liquidafter cessation of the movement of the accumulator piston to discharge aportion of the liquid.

2. The hereinbefore described method of pumping liquids, which consistsin imparting pressure and relatively high velocity from a prime mediumto a confined body of liquid which is in operative contact with anaccumulator piston which has a limited movement and which is arranged inoperative relation to an accumulator; storing in said accumulator aportion of the energy represented by the travel of the first mentionedbody of liquid during the movement of the accumulator piston; permittingthe continued travel of said first mentioned body of liquid after thecessation of the movement of the accumulator piston to discharge aportion of the liquid; and permitting said continued travel anddischarge to produce a region of low pressure, and thereby draw in a newincrement of liquid.

3. The hereinbefore described method of pumping liquids, which consistsin imparting pressure and relatively high velocity from a power impulseof a prime medium to a confined body of liquid which is in operativecontact with an accumulator piston which has a limited movement; andwhich is arranged in operative relation to an accumulator; storing insaid accumulator a portion of the energy represented by the travel ofthe first mentioned body of liquid during the movement of theaccumulator piston; permitting the continued travel of said firstmentioned body of liquid after the cessation of the movement of theaccumulator piston to discharge a portion of the liquid; permitting thepower stored in the accumulator to react upon the accumulator piston toeffect a return stroke thereof and transmitting power from said returnstroke to compress the prime medium in preparation for the next powerimpulse thereof.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto signed our names at Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, this twentieth day of March 1911.

lVitnesses:

JAMES H. BELL, E. L. FULLERTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G.

